Material handling equipment



March 3, 1953 1 W BERG 2,630,350

MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT Filed Sept. 2l, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l J INVENToR.

da/7 il( 5er? BY l March 3, 1953 J. w. BERG 2,630,350

MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT Filed Sept. 21, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. f/o/M /4/ 5e@ March 3, 1953 J. w. BERG 2,630,350

MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT Filed Sept. 21, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 BY .QTTRN Patented Mar. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT John W. Berg, Hutchinson, Kans.

Application September 21, 1949, Serial No. 117,043

(Cl. 3D2- 23) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to machines for handling grain and other materials including a novel pump construction and arrangement of component parts to transfer or convey materials from one point to another pneumatically and in a manner to eliminate damage to the materials being handled as is common among conventional machines of this character.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a materials conveyor having a pump provided with a suction conduit and an exhaust conduit, together with a hollow body or hopper for receiving the materials as the same are drawn into the body by suction created in the pump, there being means provided to feed such materials from the hollow body to the exhaust conduit of the pump.

The most important object of the present invention is to provide a materials conveyor wherein both the suction and exhaust ports or conduits of the pump are utilized in moving the materials from one point to another.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a materials conveyor having a hollow body or hopper and a suction pump wherein the suction line of the `pump extends into the body and terminates above a passageway for the materials whereby, as the material enters the hopper the same falls thereinto by force of gravity and is not transferred to the pump through its suction line.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means to feed the conveyed material from the hopper to the exhaust line of the pump while maintaining the hopper closed at all times.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a more efficient pump construction for tric rotor having oating vanes that are held -against the inner walls of the pump housing by spring means and by centrifugal force.

Other more minor Objects willbe made clear or become apparent as the .following specication progresses, reference Abeing had v'to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a materials handling equipment made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational View thereof taken through the inlet and `outlet conduits therefor.

Fig. '3 is a vertical, central, cross-sectional view takenon line III- III of Fig. 2 looking in the di* rection of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a detailed, fragmentary, cross-sec tional view taken-online IV-lI-V of Fig. Blocking inthe dir'ectionof the-arrowsand i Fig. 5 is a transverse, detailed, cross-sectional view taken on line V-V `of Fig. 3 showing the top plan view of the rotor thereof.

As above mentioned, materials handling equipment of conventional character 'for conveying farm grains and the like, are for the most part unsatisfactory because of the power required to move the same, the expense of manufacture of the component parts thereof as well as bulkiness, and more important because of the fact that the materials are seriously damaged through the handling thereof. As will hereinafter appear. all of the above disadvantages are eliminated in the equipment forming the lsubject matter hereor". The motivating means utilized is entirely pneumatic and utilization is made of both the suction and exhaust ports of a pump in causing the grain movement.

The entire machine ma;r be conveniently mounted upon a suitable supporting base Ill and includes a standard I2 for a pump broadly designated by the numeral I4, standard I2 being secured rigidly to base l0 through the medium of bolts or the like I6.

The pump I4 includes a cylindrical housing I8 having its axis disposed substantially horizontally. Housing I8 is provided with a tangential exhaust port 2i] that has its axis horizontal and substantially perpendicular to the axis of housing I8. Housing I8 is also provided with a suction port 22 disposed above the exhaust port 2U that registers with a vsectional conduit broadly designated by the numeral 24 and having a pair of sections 26 and 28. The longitudinal axis of the conduit 24 is tangential to the housing I8 and extends upwardly at an angle with respect to the vertical.

Section 2G of the suction conduit 24 may well be cast or otherwise formed integrally with the housing I8 as illustrated. The vertical'walls of the housing I8 takes the 'form of substantially circular plates 30 and 32 'that Vare removably mounted upon the housing `Hlthrou'gh the `medium of bolts or the like 3l.

The innermost Vface of'the plate '3U 'of housing I3 is provided vwith a circular, reccentrically disposed cavity 36 for receiving one'end of a drum 38 mounted within the housing'l and extending between the walls 30 and'32 thereof. That end of the drum 38 adjacent wall 30 has a concentric, outwardly extending hub 40 that passes through bearings 42 mounted within la` tubular outwardly extending box 44 integral with thejplate 3U.

Hub 40 receives a` drive shaft 46. The shaft 46 has a relativelyv large pulleyf48 thereonfor receiv.. ing belts 50 thatfexteird-to afdrivefpulleyforming 4base i9.

a part of any suitable prime mover not shown. Shaft 46 also has a relatively small sheave 52 thereon for receiving a belt 54 for purposes hereinafter to be more fully described.

The drum 38 has a transverse slot 56 formed therein for receiving a pair of plate-like vanes 58 and 66. The combined thicknesses of the plates 58 and 6|) are substantially the same as the width of the slot 56 but such vanes 58 and 68 are freely slidable within slot 56 radially with respect to drum 38.

The proximal faces of the plates 58 and 68 are slidably interengaging and have a plurality of complementary registering cavities 62 and 64 respectively formed therein. The ends of the cavities 62 and 64 present shoulders for receiving adjacent ends of corresponding coil springs 66. In other words, there is a coil spring 66 for each of the registering cavities 62 and 64 that tend to urge both plates 53 and 60 outwardly with respect to the axis of drum 38. Thus, when the drum 38 is in the position illustrated in Fig. 3, one outermost edge of the plate 58 and the opposite outermost edge of the plate 68, is in engagement with the innermost surface of drum i8 and these edges are held in such position by the plurality of springs 65. As the drum 38 is caused to rotate in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 3 through the belt 56, pulley 48 and shaft 46, springs 66 will hold plates 58 and 69- against the inner surface of cylinder I8 until such time as centrifugal force shifts the plates 58 and 68 in one direction to maintain one edge of plate 58 in sliding contact with the housing I8. As drum 38 continues to rotate, such centrifugal force will move -the plates 58 and 6|] in the opposite direction and thereby move the opposite edge of plate 68 into vsliding Contact with cylinder I8.

A hollow housing or hopper, broadly designated Vby the numeral 68, includes a pair of sections 16 and l2 removably interconnected through the medium of abutting anges 14 and connecting bolts 76. The section 12 is funnel-shape and provided with an outlet opening i8 in the bottom thereof and a port 8D disposed along one side of the outlet 18.

The sections 26 and 28 of suction conduit 24 are interconnected by bolts 82 adjacent the port 86, section 28 passing through port 80 and ter- .minating in an open end adjacent to and spaced 1 slightly below the uppermost surface of section i8 of hopper 68.

A materials passage way includes a substantially L-shaped pipe 84 that extends into the section 10 of hopper 68 preferably for sliding istering relationship at one end thereof with the v exhaust port 29 of pump Hand has its outermost end supported by an upstanding bracket 92 on Exhaust 99 has a tubular housing 94 registering therewith and extending upwardly for connection with the housing 68 in registering relationship with outlet '|8.

Housing 94 is provided with a rotor 96 that includes a hub 98 having opposed pintles |99 and |62 mounted within the housing 94. The pintle |02 extends outwardly beyond the housing 94 and receives a sheave|84 that operably connected 'lof ,conduit 98 in comparison with the air flow in .drum 38 of pump lli as well as the rotor 96.

with the sheave 52 through the medium of the belt 54.

Rotor 86 is also provided with a plurality of radial vanes |86. The vanes |66 extend entirely across the housing 94 and have their faces tapered as illustrated in Fig. 5, the greatest thickness of the vanes |66 being at the center thereof and the faces each converging as the outermost edges of the vanes are approached.

A pair of preferably flexible conduits |08 and H6 are joined with the pipe 84 and the exhaust conduit 96 respectively in any suitable manner not shown. The conduit |58 leads from the source of materials to be conveyed, while the conduit I9 may be extended to a point of discharge. In this connection and for illustration only, conduit |98 may well extend into a truck filled with materials to be handled while the conduit ||0 projects to a storage bin therefor.

In operation, it is seen that a single prime mover (not shown) may be utilized to drive the The direction of rotor 95 is immaterial but as arranged, the same will move in the same direction as drum 38 as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. Rotation of the drum 38 and constant contact of the inner surfaces of cylinder I8 by the plates or vanes 58 and 68, will create suction in the conduit 24 that is exhausted through the conduit 90. The housing 58 is completely sealed and therefore, the suction in conduit 24 will also exist within the housing 58. Such suction serves to draw the materials through conduit |68 and the pipe 84 for discharge into hopper 68. As soon as the materials reach the outlet 88 of pipe 64, the same will drop by gravity into hopper 68 through outlet 'i5 and upon the rotor 96. Be cause of the constant rotation of rotor 96, such materials will thereupon be conveyed from the housing 84 into the exhaust conduit 90 whereupon the pressure exerted by pump I4 will continue movement of the materials through conduit 9|) and into the conduit ||9 for ultimate discharge into a bin or other desired point.

It is seen that the rotor 96 serves as a feeding means for the materials from the hopper 68 to the exhaust conduit 96 and that inasmuch as the outermost edges of the vanes |06 are constantly in Vengagement with the walls of housing 94, hopper llet 88 of pipe 84, the materials will not move upwardly within housing 68 for movement into conduit 24. Instead, the action of gravity will vcause such materials to fall downwardly from outlet 88 into the housing 94.

A pet cock type vent |2 is provided in the suction line 2li for admission of selected amounts of air into such line 24, dependent of course, upon the condition of the grain and ease of movement thereof. Normally, pet cock ||2 will be open whereby to permit a relatively small amount of air t-o enter the suction line 24 thereby increasing the amount of air that passes into the exhaust conduit 24. It is seen that because of the relatively large cross-sectional area of the hop-per 68, the velocity of the air in outlet 88 will be relatively high as compared with the air velocity in hopper E8, and such condition, together with the action of gravity, will cause the material to enter the housing 914 rath-er than pass into the suction conduit 214. With respect to the pump I4 through the construction thereof shown and described, a relatively small pump is needed to move a comparatively large volume of grain or other materials.

Pump I4 is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture and is devoid of complicated and expensive parts. The entire machine is relatively small and co-mpact and has proved to be extremely eiiicient in. operation from the standpoint of moving a large volume of grain in a relatively short period .of time Without damage thereto and Without operational difficulties.

With respect to gate or rotor 96, it is apparent that vanes |06 may vary in shape as desired, the important factor being prevention of air movement to or from hopper B18 as much as possible While maintaining the pockets between vanes |06 sufficiently large to handle the grain delivery from opening 8-8.

Manifestly, changes and modifications might well be made and it is, therefore, desired to be limited only by the spirit of this invention as dei-ined by the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

For use with a pneumatic pump of the kind having a housing provided With a cylindrical Wall, said wall having a horizontal axis, an inlet opening and an outlet opening next adjacent the inlet opening, an elongated, horizontal discharge pipe registering with said outlet opening and disposed tangentially to said cylindrical wall, a vacuum chamber having a side Wall and a bottom, said bottom having an outlet tube communicating at the lowermost end thereof with said discharge pipe at the top of the latter, and a rotatable feeder in said tube disposed entirely above the longitudinal, horizontal axis of said pipe for receiving material from said chamber and feeding the same to the discharge pipe by force of gravity, the improvement of which comprises an L-shaped material conduit having a horizontal leg extending into the chamber through said side wall and down-turned leg within the chamber provided with a disch-arge end disposed above said tube and facing downwardly toward the feeder; and an elongated intake pipe having an inclined longitudinal axis, communicating with said inlet opening, disposed tangentially to said cylindrical Wall, extending into the chamber through said bottom wall and terminating Within said cham.- ber in an upwardly-facing inlet end disposed above said conduit, the axis of rotation o-f the feeder being horizontal and in parallelism With the transverse axis of the discharge pipe.

JOHN W. BERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 138,175 Merrill Apr. 22, 1873 585,804 Weber July 6, 1897 636,670 Jones Nov. 7, 1899 `1,173,073 Williams Feb. 22, 1916 v1,283,089 `Connor Oct. 29, 1918 1,434,716 Marion Nov. 7, 1922 1,605,196 Ligon Nov. 2, 1926 `2,312,961 Cowherd Nov. 8, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date `16,914 Germany Feb. 13, 1882 `6,449 Great Britain of 1885 11,990 Great Britain of 1912 122,353 Great Britain Jan. 23, 1919 113,694 Australia Aug. 15, 1941 

